From Russia With Love: Studying and Teaching in Siberia

by Michael D’Entremont

THIS PAST SUMMER I had the exciting opportunity to visit
and teach English in Russia–Siberia, to be more specific. It wasn’t always pleasant, but it was a truly amazing experience and worth all the effort.

The International Summer Language School is located in the village of Borovoe–about thirty miles outside of Novosibirsk,
the capital of Siberia and Russia’s third largest city. I found the school on the Internet and, after four months and numerous extensive e-mails back and forth with Natasha Bodrova, the school’s director, I was on my way. The school conducts five two-week sessions from June to August. Most students and teachers come for one session; I stayed for three sessions, or six weeks.

First, a comment about the weather. It wasn’t freezing, and
it didn’t snow. It was sunny and warm most days (about 68-77
degrees, Fahrenheit), with frequent thundershowers. Okay,
now that that’s out of the way, let me move on. The facility
that the school uses is called a “resort,” but it is actually a plain, austere, partially crumbling cement structure. My shower was a shallow basin (with no curtain) in which I squatted down and hosed myself off. The water was often very cold.

But the harshness of the building disappeared when the students
arrived. Mostly teens and some adults, they made the building
come alive with their conversation, laughter, and smiles. All of the students came from Siberian cities near Novosibirsk. All were smart and talented–they compete to go to the school. Some spoke English very well; others, barely at all.

The daily schedule was rigorous. Students were up at 7:45 doing morning exercises, breakfast was at 8:30, and English classes ran from 9:00 until 12:15 daily. Lunch was at 1:00, and group projects were from 2:00 to 3:00 every day. The students spent the rest of the afternoon playing sports, swimming, and doing other activities while the teachers all took Russian classes. (It took two weeks just to learn the alphabet!) Evenings were devoted to academic competitions, singing, and dancing. During each two-week session, we also had a few excursions to Novosibirsk to visit the zoo and museums and to go shopping.

Every summer the school has a different theme; this was the
“Millennium Summer.” Teachers prepared their English lessons around daily topics, such as music, art, dance, or literature of the past millennium. All of the classes engaged students–they were practical but interesting, and all classes were suited to the students’ ages and English proficiency levels.

The afternoon group projects gave students a chance to show
off their talents. Each teacher worked with one group of about
twelve students for the two-week period, and groups presented
their projects at the school’s closing ceremony. One teacher
taught country line dancing, one helped students put together
a book of poetry, and one had students design a new Web site
for the school. My groups wrote humorous skits about everyday
life (in English, of course) and performed them. This project
helped students build vocabulary, practice their grammar,
and become more familiar with the rhythm of English speech.
Students even learned a few things about American culture.

The teachers came from all over. I worked with teachers from
the U.S. (Virginia, Indiana, and Missouri), Canada, France,
England, Ireland, Finland, Holland, Singapore, and Australia.
Teachers varied widely in age and background. Some were university students, some were business professionals, and others were professional teachers. All enjoyed the experience very much
and kept their sense of humor about the accommodations, the
language barrier, the food (often unidentifiable), the isolation,
and the mosquitoes (vicious). We were made to feel welcome
by being introduced to certain Russian traditions, such as
weekly banya nights where we indulged in the sauna and were
whipped with birch branches on our back and legs (to stimulate
circulation). Banya nights continued into the wee hours as
we feasted on salty fish, shish kabob, cucumbers, and of course,
Russian vodka.

I learned a lot about the Russian people. One Russian woman
told me that she thought the Russians were a very strong people.
I agree, but I would also add that they are sensitive, warm, and fun loving. They are a social people who prefer not to be alone, especially during hard times. They cope as best they can with low wages. One student of mine said he was very surprised that a teacher like me could afford a new Toyota. My Russian teacher (who teaches English to Russian students during the school year) said her salary made her want to cry because she could never afford to visit the U.S. and practice her English. On the other hand, some expenses are lower. I got a haircut for three dollars, a leather watchband for one dollar, and had my shoes repaired for thirty-three cents. But still, many Russians confessed to me that they had a hard time making ends meet. Some are quite resourceful about finances. I had the chance to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg after
the program, and one of my homestay hosts and her son actually
left and stayed at a campground while another tourist and I took over their apartment. The reasonable cost for us (about $25 a night) was a significant amount of income for them.

It was an unforgettable experience. I admit I shed a tear or two when I had to say goodbye to the students, faculty, and even the kitchen staff, from whom I would beg for hot water to make coffee every afternoon. I didn’t want to leave, and they wanted me to stay. The director, Natasha, is currently expanding the International Language School to be year-round, and she asked me if I would be interested in coming back for a year to teach English and study Russian. It’s tempting, but I don’t know-last winter the temperature dropped to 58 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. Brrrr!

The only drawback was that this was not a moneymaking proposition. All teachers had to pay their own airfare to the school (about $1,100 round trip). In addition, the school charges a room-and-board fee for teachers, the exact amount depending on your length of stay; I paid $720 for six weeks. As I was exploring on
the Internet last year for summer teaching programs, I found that most charge some kind of fee. Compared to many other programs out there, the amount I paid was modest.

If you search long enough, you may find a summer program willing to pay you for your teaching (but not your transportation). If you are willing and able to spend a year or two out of the country, your chances of being paid and of having your expenses paid become much greater. For most programs, including the International Language School, previous teaching experience is preferred but not required. The only requirement is a bachelor’s degree, and it can usually be in any field. If you would like more information about the International Language School, you can check out the new Web site at www.borovoe.com.

Also, if you are interested in a homestay in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, or other Russian cities, I highly recommend the
White Nights organization at www.concourse.net/bus/wnights/.
Some other programs worth investigating are WorldTeach at
www.worldteach.org, Global Volunteers at www.globalvolunteers.org, InterExchange at www.interexchange.org, and www.teachabroad.com, which has various paid and volunteer positions.